Scottish Executive

Concessionary Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated under the concessionary fares scheme (a) since the scheme's inception and (b) for each of the next two years, broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: The funding for the current concessionary travel schemes is allocated to local authorities primarily by formula allocation. The information requested is set out in the following tables.

  Funding for the partnership agreement commitments for a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities, and for progressively introducing a scheme of national bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for young people, initially for all in full time education and training, will be determined following the formal consultation process and the research and analysis which will be required to support the implementation of the commitments.

  

 

£000
1996-97
Final

£000
1997-98
Final

£000
1998-1999
Final

£000
1999-2000
Final

£000
2000-01
Final



Aberdeen City

1,428

1,337

1,379

1,379

1,359



Aberdeenshire

1,314

1,235

1,293

1,310

1,305



Angus

826

777

801

799

790



Argyll and Bute

726

683

705

710

699



Clackmannanshire

882

292

303

308

306



Dumfries and Galloway

310

1,121

1,166

1,176

1,167



Dundee City

664

1,070

1,111

1,110

1,096



East Ayrshire

1,188

805

835

841

829



East Dunbartonshire

1,145

647

682

697

702



East Lothian

853

619

639

642

636



East Renfrewshire

674

537

561

569

568



Edinburgh, City of

659

2,903

2,982

2,969

2,922



Eilean Siar

234

216

222

221

219



Falkirk

564

892

926

932

927



Fife

3,109

2,285

2,373

2,389

2,367



Glasgow, City of

951

4,068

4,144

4,090

3,984



Highland

2,435

1,349

1,409

1,426

1,421



Inverclyde

4,405

591

604

601

588



Midlothian

1,426

468

488

495

492



Moray

637

557

578

582

579



North Ayrshire

495

880

916

924

922



North Lanarkshire

590

1,859

1,931

1,950

1,942



Orkney

933

131

136

137

136



Perth and Kinross

1,968

995

1,033

1,043

1,032



Renfrewshire

139

1,084

1,130

1,137

1,128



Scottish Borders

1,058

831

859

862

854



Shetland

1,151

125

128

128

125



South Ayrshire

132

858

892

897

889



South Lanarkshire

913

1,815

1,884

1,893

1,885



Stirling

1,929

529

552

556

551



West Dunbartonshire

560

618

635

632

620



West Lothian

747

707

740

749

747



Scotland

35,047

32,882

34,035

34,155

33,786



  Note: figures for 1996-97 are atypical due to the effects of local government reform in 1996.

  

 

£000
2001-02
Final

£000
2002-03
Final

£000
2003-04
Final

£000
2004-05
Provisional

£000
2005-06
Provisional



Aberdeen City

1,379

2,303

3,830

3,937

4,068



Aberdeenshire

1,338

2,272

3,916

4,157

4,372



Angus

795

1,339

2,259

2,413

2,507



Argyll and Bute

714

1,199

2,025

2,119

2,199



Clackmannanshire

313

526

893

895

937



Dumfries and Galloway

1,193

2,010

3,406

3,553

3,718



Dundee City

1,105

1,839

3,045

3,106

3,180



East Ayrshire

840

1,414

2,385

2,433

2,531



East Dunbartonshire

727

1,241

2,125

2,178

2,292



East Lothian

647

1,085

1,821

1,923

2,004



East Renfrewshire

582

986

1,675

1,766

1,854



Edinburgh, City of

2,946

4,898

8,076

8,271

8,504



Eilean Siar

222

371

625

644

667



Falkirk

949

1,598

2,720

2,849

2,964



Fife

2,401

4,034

6,789

7,058

7,352



Glasgow, City of

3,940

6,466

10,557

10,799

10,953



Highland

1,453

2,459

4,202

4,422

4,643



Inverclyde

594

983

1,637

1,719

1,767



Midlothian

502

849

1,453

1,539

1,604



Moray

591

998

1,689

1,770

1,843



North Ayrshire

938

1,585

2,700

2,792

2,918



North Lanarkshire

1,995

3,363

5,708

5,748

5,994



Orkney

139

237

406

419

439



Perth and Kinross

1,054

1,774

2,970

3,085

3,213



Renfrewshire

1,147

1,929

3,265

3,370

3,499



Scottish Borders

868

1,455

2,439

2,486

2,598



Shetland

129

216

370

396

418



South Ayrshire

902

1,514

2,530

2,637

2,743



South Lanarkshire

1,920

3,226

5,496

5,841

6,071



Stirling

562

944

1,611

1,705

1,782



West Dunbartonshire

624

1,035

1,713

1,796

1,842



West Lothian

764

1,301

2,293

2,456

2,582



Scotland

34,271

57,449

96,627

100,284

104,060



  In addition to the formula allocation, from the current financial year authorities may apply for additional funding under section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 where they can demonstrate a shortfall in funding following the introduction of free local off-peak bus travel. Grant offers which have been made under this arrangement are as follows.

  


Authority

Grant Offer (£000)



Aberdeen City Council

1,157



Dundee City Council

1,147



City Of Edinburgh Council

842



Strathclyde Passenger Transport

9,820



West Lothian Council

271

Europe

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the "limitations in terms of our resources and negotiating flexibility", referred to in its European strategy, are.

Mr Andy Kerr: As with all administrations, the Executive's resources are not limitless. We will therefore focus our attention on the key EU issues for Scotland, rather than try and deal with every EU initiative that could have an impact on Scotland.

  In a European Union of 15 – soon to be 25 – member states, compromises are essential in order to reach conclusions or take decisions. This necessarily implies limitations in our negotiating flexibility.

Fisheries

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect negotiations at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2003 will have on prawn fishing in the west of Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The Council agreed a total allowable catch (TAC) for nephrops (prawns) West of Scotland of 11,300 tonnes. This essentially represents the same fishing opportunities as were available in 2003.

Housing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the availability of good quality affordable housing in each local authority area for those on low incomes.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5903 on 17 February 2004 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many chief constables, assistant chief constables and deputy chief constables who have been appointed since 1999 have had no previous experience of serving in the police force in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: There have been 24 officers appointed to the ranks of chief constable, deputy chief constable and assistant chief constable in the Scottish Police Service since 1999. A number of these were of officers who progressed from assistant chief constable to deputy chief constable or chief constable. Six appointments were of officers who had no previous experience of serving in a Scottish Police Force.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on who will (a) own and (b) operate the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway and what organisations have been approached regarding ownership and operation of the railway.

Nicol Stephen: These are matters for the promoter, Clackmannanshire Council.

Rail Network

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when work on the Larkhall to Milngavie rail link is expected to commence.

Nicol Stephen: The contractor is currently undertaking preparatory work and I expect substantial work to start on site before the end of February.

Roads

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the signage strategy that has been agreed by East Lothian Council and the local tourist board for the new A1 expressway between Haddington and Dunbar.

Nicol Stephen: The signage strategy for the expressway was agreed with East Lothian Council and other interested parties prior to the start of works. It was included in the works contract and will be implemented. As subsequent changes to the signs have been requested by the council, the Executive are to meet with council officials on Tuesday 17 February to discuss the strategy.

Teachers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist primary school modern language teachers there are and what plans it has to train such specialists.

Peter Peacock: Information on how many specialist primary modern language teachers there are is not available centrally. A modern foreign language is an option for specialist study within the Bachelor of Primary Education course and a training course to teach modern languages is available to qualified primary teachers.

Wind Farms

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure sensitive siting of wind farms in order to protect the scenic and environmental heritage.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Executive revised its planning guidance and advice in 2002 to help ensure that wind farms are sited in the right locations. These documents set a planning framework which balances the Executive's obligations to tackle climate change with the need to ensure that sites designated for their natural heritage importance are protected from inappropriate development.

Wind Farms

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement has been reached with (a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) the Cairngorms National Park regarding the need for pylons 65 feet higher than at present to carry wind farm energy south from the Highlands.

Lewis Macdonald: No agreement has been sought or reached.

  Discussions between the developer, Scottish and Southern Energy, the stakeholders, such as the planning authorities, and the wider community on issues that will inform the ultimate choice of routes for the proposed transmission line are under way. We expect an application for consent under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to be made in the summer when formal consultation on the proposals will be undertaken. Ministers will then reach a determination on whether the proposal should be consented as submitted, whether it requires amendment or whether it should be refused. That determination will be made in light of all the relevant considerations.

Wind Farms

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas in the Highlands will be declared wind farm free zones due to the number of low-flying zones managed by the Ministry of Defence.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: There are no plans to do so. The Executive expects operators to work closely with the Ministry of Defence so that sites are chosen which do not compromise the safety of low flying aircraft.

Wind Farms

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has issued to local authority planning departments since 1999 in respect of dealing with wind farm applications with regard to the effects of wind farms on human amenity, safety and health.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments  and Planning Advice Note 45: Renewable Energy Technologies were revised in   2000 and 2002 respectively to give guidance and advice on all the major issues that are likely to arise in relation to wind farm proposals.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what procedures were followed with regard to the appointment of a legal firm of advisers to the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner; how many companies were invited to tender for the appointment and of those how many were based (a) in and (b) outside of Edinburgh; what criteria was used for the selection of the successful company; whether any guidelines or rules have been agreed in respect of the avoidance of any conflicts of interest between the firm and the Commissioner; what the value of the contract awarded is, and what performance indicators will be applied to the contract.

Robert Brown (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002 provides that the Commissioner may appoint advisers to assist in the carrying out of his functions, subject to the approval of the SPCB. The SPCB approved the appointment of Anderson Strathern WS, as legal advisers.

  The appointment followed a competitive tendering exercise. Six firms with offices in Edinburgh deemed large enough to offer a range of services were invited to tender. Three firms were then invited to make presentations with their bid being judged against the following criteria: advice on interpretation of The Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002, Code of Conduct, use of statutory powers; advice when the Commissioner is involved in a legal process, on compliance with other statutes; advice on investigating breaches which could involve criminal offences and possible future advice on employment issues should the Commissioner employ staff.

  Anderson Strathern WS and the Commissioner have agreed that any conflict of interest will be dealt under the Law Society of Scotland's Practice Rules on conflict and potential conflict of interest; the Solicitors Scotland (Conflict of Interest) Practice Rules 1986 and the Code of Conduct for Scottish Solicitors as amended.

  Work is undertaken at an hourly rate and must be met from the Commissioner's budget. As the volume of work is uncertain no value has been placed on the contract.

  Performance indicators applied to the contract were set out in the tender document and provide minimum standards of service which include responding to requests for advice within 14 days or within the timescale requested and if that is not possible, within a timescale agreed with the Commissioner; telephone messages being returned the same day and correspondence and emails being answered within three working days. Performance is reviewed at quarterly meetings with the Commissioner and the lead person in Anderson Strathern with responsibility for the contract.